Programs

Please contact us if you want our curriculums delivered to your community.

Native P.R.I.D.E. proudly offers the following programs for Indian Country:

The Good Road of Life

A major outcome for Native men and their family members, who successfully complete this curriculum, will result in strengthening family involvement, family preservation and responsible fatherhood. Native men are the most at-risk population in the U.S. due to substance abuse, violence, incarceration, suicide, and trauma. Native women experience the highest rate of violence from Native men among all races in the U.S. This culture-based program uses sources of strength such as spirituality, humor, and healing to assist Native men and their family members address the impact of colonization, trauma, racism and other challenges that threaten the well-being of children and families. The curriculum for Native men is designed to assist Native men reclaim their roles as brave warriors, fathers, and husbands who provide for and protect their families and communities. The curriculum for Native families is designed to assist Native men, women, and their children to address unresolved conflicts in relationships, improve communication skills, and keep Native families together. The implementation of this program is made possible by a grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA).

Native H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Endure)

The process in the Native H.O.P.E. program intentionally creates a safe and sacred place through culture, spirituality and humor for participants to address suicide, depression, trauma, violence, and substance abuse. Participants share openly and honestly about the challenges in their lives and make commitments to make positive changes in their attitude and behavior, as well as, to support each other. This peer-counseling approach has proven to be highly effective for Native youth to break the “code of silence.” This process allows Native youth to help their friends and peers get through crisis situations, and make the necessary referrals for support. This model includes training community members in facilitation and group process skills to continue ongoing “booster” prevention and leadership activities. Our Native youth are full of “hope and promise” and need access and opportunity to develop their leadership potential.

Native PRIDE has a contract with the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department to provide cultural services to American Indian male and female youth incarcerated in two juvenile justice secured facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facilities are Camino Nuevo Youth Center (CNYC) and Youth Diagnostics & Development Center (YDDC). The cultural services include two talking circles (support groups) and two sweat lodges (spirituality) for two groups of males and one group of females each month. These cultural services are supervised by the State of New Mexico Native American Liaison and CYFD Juvenile Justice Contracts Manager to honor agreements made with the State of New Mexico and tribal leaders from the reservations and Pueblos of New Mexico.

Talking Circles

The talking circles are designed to create a safe and sacred place for incarcerated youth to have a sense of belonging and safety to share with each other (peer-counseling) and support each other’s healing journey from the trauma and impact of colonization upon their lives. Native PRIDE developed two culture and resilience based curricula endorsed by federal, state and tribal leaders as effective prevention and intervention programs. The Good Road of Life (GRL) curriculum was originally developed to address American Indian, Alaska Native and First Nations men’s wellness challenges. It has been amended to be appropriate for all indigenous populations. It is based upon the doctoral dissertation of Clayton Small, PhD completed at Gonzaga University. The topics include spirituality and Sources of Strength, Colonization-Racism and the Impact upon Native Families, New Beginning: Multigenerational Trauma, and Breaking Unhealthy Cycles, Establishing and Maintaining Sobriety, Hostility and Anger Management, Grief, Loss and Suicide Prevention, Healing the Shame and Addressing Forgiveness, Forgiving Our Parents, Conflict Resolution and Healthy Communication Skills, Sexual Orientation-Homophobia-HIV-AIDS and follow up homework. The topics are introduced with stories, testimonials, and Native artwork that lead to open honest healing conversations. The Native HOPE curriculum addresses suicide prevention and related risk factors including substance abuse, coping with stress-trauma, violence prevention and coping with depression using a peer-counseling approach (youth helping youth).

The Talking Circles are designed to:

Provide a safe place for healing.

Provide emotional support.

Encourage healthy friendships.

Encourage social interactions.

Provide awareness and education.

Inspire Native youth to make positive changes in attitude and behavior.

Sweat Lodges

The sweat lodges are designed to provide the Native youth clients the opportunity to practice their spirituality in a cultural environment. Spirituality in this context means to be willing to ask for help and support your peers. The clients help in the construction of the sweat lodge using willows and wool blankets. They are instructed on the protocol of the lodge and learn to sing prayer songs during the ceremony. They learn to make and use their own buffalo rawhide hand drums and rattles during the ceremony. The clients are provided a cultural meal after each sweat lodge ceremony. The sweat lodge introduces ceremony, ritual and rites of passage to the Native clients that often transforms their world view, identity, and commitment to a new beginning upon their release from their incarceration.

Feast Days

The Feast Days occur 3-4 times per year on the secured facilities grounds and are opportunities for the Native clients to conduct arts and crafts projects, hear motivational speakers, and witness POW Wow dance exhibitions and other cultural activities with a cultural meal provided each time.